On rare occasion a wine lover is lucky enough to get an early glimpse at a wine that's not yet widely known but is almost certain to become a hotly sought-after "cult" item.

Gourt de Mautens 1997 Rasteau ($20) is just such a wine: Huge, even domineering, unctuous, flavorful and complex, a bruiser at 15 percent alcohol and yet amazingly well balanced, this remarkable Southern Rhone red from Jérôme Bressy is the kind of wine that the big-name critics will score in the upper 90s - when they find out about it.

Inky blackish purple in color, made from 100 percent Grenache, it breathes a deep and remarkable aroma of plums, prunes, cherry cola and licorice with whiffs of incense; it's full-bodied and unctuous, with abundant fruit and perhaps just a touch of sweetness. It's an incredible wine, even more amazing in that it's the product of a vintage generally considered a disaster in its region. The '98 will be even more intense, and it will probably sell for $30. It may inspire insiders' jokes about "Helen Turley meets the Rhone," and it will still be a bargain.

Vintner Select tasting in Louisville:
Two dozen fine French wines

The Gourt de Mautens may have been the most remarkable wine shown in a trade tasting in Louisville yesterday, but it was far from the only winner among two dozen wines shown by the estimable David Schildknecht, French-wine specialist for the excellent Vintner Select wine-import firm of Cincinnati. David showed up at Louisville's huge Party Source wine shop with these wines, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to join in as they tasted through the Rasteau and other new items.

The wines had been opened almost a day earlier for a tasting at Party Source's Northern Kentucky (Cincinnati-area) store and kept chilled under gas (Private Preserve) overnight, and the following notes should take that into consideration. However, they seemed to be showing well and none the worse for that experience.

There wasn't a loser in the bunch, although a half-dozen (in addition to the Rasteau) stood head and shoulders above the pack. In most cases, I've highlighted the particularly noteworthy items with a label image.

Foreau 1988 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Cos Naudins" ($23) Ten years old and not showing a day of it, this delicious wine is a bright greenish-gold color, boasting luscious scents of pears and apples. Surprisingly dry, it's tart and full, rich and long flavors following the nose.

Jean Calot 1998 Morgon "Cuvée Speciale" ($16) Inky blackish-purple, with meaty, peppery aromas, complex and interesting, with an odd but not unpleasant earthiness in the background. Complex and interesting, it's big, full and "chewy," seemingly more like a Rhone than a Beaujolais. This is an unfiltered bottling made specifically for Vintner Select.

Jean Calot 1998 Morgon "Tête de Cuvée" (n/a) For the sake of comparison, Schildknecht presented this bottle - not likely to be available in the U.S. - of the very same wine as the above, drawn directly from the same tank on the same day as his unfiltered bottling above but put through a standard filtration process. It's a clear, dark ruby red with "meaty" red fruit aromas, full berry fruit and spicy white pepper on the palate.

The lesson here is an intriguing one, especially in light of the conventional wisdom that filtration always results in an inferior wine. Comparing these wines, identical except for filtration, it would be simplistic to declare the unfiltered wine was "better." They are both excellent, delicious wines, and they are different.

Pierre Gonon 1996 Saint-Joseph Mauves ($20) Opaque, black. Luscious perfumed black fruit and herbal aromas with a surprising impression of dried red chilies. Big, juicy black-fruit flavor with a whiff of "barnyard," chewy and ripe; blackberries and fennel in the finish. Rustic to be sure, but a very good wine.

L'Aigueliere 1995 Coteaux du Languedoc "Cote Dor&e;acute;e" ($32 in 1998)
Although this wine's no longer on the market, Schildknecht brought along this bottle to show off its ability to evolve with age; this wine was reportedly seen going for $110 at a high-end Chicago retailer recently, suggesting that it may be the first "cult" item from the Coteaux du Languedoc. Inky blackish-purple with a brick hue, it shows loads of brett and herbal Provence "garrigues" with big black fruit on the nose and palate. Ripe, juicy fruit and black olives on the palate, tart and full, with a hint of metallic finish from the brett. A big-league wine by any definition, it's got years to go.

PROVENCE

Domaine Alysses 1997 Coteaux Varois "Cuvée Angelique" ($13) Inky blackish purple, with lavender, grilled meat, smoke, black olives and black fruit in a remarkable, earthy and delicious aroma. Full and round, black fruit flavors follow the nose. A certified organic wine grown with no synthetic herbicides, insecticides or fertilizers in the vineyard, it's made from an undisclosed blend of Grenache, Syrah and other grapes, from a property so admirably idiosyncratic that it even grows some Burgundian clones of Pinot Noir. An impressive wine and an amazing value, another item that's bound to increase in price and notoriety as U.S. wine lovers discover it.

Domaine Dragon 1997 Cotes de Provence "Cuvée St.-Michel" ($11) Very dark ruby. Barnyardy, manure-like aromas dominate a complex scent, making this a wine that's sure to be controversial; big, juicy and ripe black-fruit flavors with a pleasant undertone of sweet dried fruit. A fine bargain for those who aren't put off by significant brett.

MONBAZILLAC

Grande Maison 1997 Monbazillac "Cuvée des Anges" ($10/375 ml) Clear pale gold, honey and almond aromas and a tasty hint of butterscotch. Made entirely in stainless steel with no oak, it's fresh and sweet and pleasantly light on the palate.